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Travel Insurance Ratings

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Travel insurance ratings help you to decide which travel insurance policy to buy and will ensure that you don't pay more than you need to for travel insurance that is really important if you are traveling outside the UK.

Always declare medical conditions that you have now, or have had in the past and answer questions truthfully. Also think about people you are travelling with, or family members who are ill and could affect your travel plans if they fall ill.

Remember it may not cost as much as you think to be properly covered for your medical problems.

Buying insurance online can often be cheaper than other methods and it is much easier to compare travel insurance policies online.

Remember the cheapest travel insurance policy isn’t always the best. Look at the level of cover offered by each policy and make sure it’s suitable for your own needs.

Always read the small print. Check the policy is suitable for what you plan to do on your holiday and make sure you know what you need to do if you need to make a claim. For example, when do you need to contact the travel insurer and what documents you need to get, like, receipts or police reports.

Don’t duplicate cover. Check if you have similar cover elsewhere. For example, if you have baggage cover on your house insurance you could exclude it from your travel insurance.

See how much an annual policy costs. If you make more than one or two trips overseas each year have a look at an annual policy that will cover all the holidays you make in a year. An annual policy covering Europe will be much cheaper than one that covers worldwide travel.

Get an EHIC card (the replacement for the E111) from www.ehic.org.uk. It could save you money if you need treatment in the EU as medical excesses may not be charged if you use your EHIC.

If you make a travel insurance claim and it is turned down write to the insurance company and make a formal complaint. If the company doesn’t change it’s mind, or you are unhappy with how it has handled your complaint, or after 8 weeks, you can complain for free to the Financial Ombudsman Service (www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk).

Do You Have A Pre-Existing Medical Condition You Need To Disclose?

You need to declare to the insurers whether you or anyone travelling with you has EVER had treatment for:

Any heart or circulatory condition

A stroke or high blood pressure

Any breathing condition (including asthma)

Cancer

Diabetes

Or if, within the last 24 months you have:

Been treated for any serious / re-occurring condition

Been referred to a specialist or hospital consultant for tests, diagnosis or treatment

Been asked to take regular prescription medication.

Don’t worry if you need to disclose a condition, to keep costs down just ensure you use an online specialist that compares a number of different companies to ensure you get the best deal. Here’s an example of what you might pay.

Table Notes: Premiums for 40 year old for travel for 1 week from PayingTooMuch.com. Comparable cover.

Controlled with Insulin. Non-smoker. With high blood pressure controlled by 1 medicine. Dose has been increased in last 6 months and on medication to reduce cholesterol. No unplanned hospital admission in last year.

Loses consciousness during fits. 1 to 3 fits in last 6 months. Controlled with 1 medication. No unplanned hospital admission in last year. First fit 6 to 12 months ago.

Slipped disc affecting back and neck that interferes with daily life in last 5 years. 1 medicine. No unplanned hospital admissions in last 2 years, 6ft and less than 18st 6lb. Has seen osteopath in last 5 years. No pain relief patches in last year.

There’s no substitute for calculating your own premiums, it take a few minutes and there are trained staff during office hours to help you with any queries.